Electric

Isuzu Testing Battery-Electric Cabover

March 7, 2018
• by Paul Clinton and Chris Brown

Photo of electric plug on NPR courtesy of Isuzu.

Isuzu Commercial Truck of America showed a battery-electric N-Series cabover at the Work Truck Show in Indianapolis that's now serving as a research vehicle to allow the manufacturer to gauge interest from fleets who would use the truck for certain applications.

The regular cab NPR has been equipped with battery technology that's still under development and would be rated as a Class 5 vehicle with a 19,500-lb. gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). The vehicle at the show was modified by Nordresa, a Laval, Quebec, Canada company that manufactures electrified powertrains for commercial vehicles.

"Isuzu continues to develop and grow in order to support a new generation of transportation needs and address escalating customer requests for a potential electrical truck," said Shaun Skinner, president of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America and Isuzu Commercial Truck of Canada. "Commercial truck customer needs vary by market."

The company has begun discussions with its fleet customers who have requested a battery-electric cabover, Skinner said.

"By deploying this truck that utilizes an EV system engineered by one of the North American companies we are working with, and other companies with different electrical systems, we will be able to develop the right trucks for our customers’ needs," Skinner said. "There is no doubt that all-electric trucks are part of the future of commercial vehicles; they are part of our future as well."

Trucking shouldn't waste time on pipe-dreams like platooning and autonomous trucks and instead focus on improving logistics and making the trade appeal to young people, said Hendrickson's Jeff Sass while speaking at the Heavy Duty Trucking Exchange in Phoenix.